Chicago (CBS) – Following a series of drownings and tragedies this summer, renewed efforts have been made to ensure the safety of all those in the waters of Lake Michigan.

A beach warning has been in effect for the past few days due to dangerous conditions, with lifeguards keeping people close to shore or out of the water altogether.

But some argue that much more needs to be done.

The unofficial end of summer didn’t mean the end of swimming season, but Labor Day was the last day Chicago lifeguards would be on duty until 2025.

That means beachgoers should be even more vigilant. Lake Michigan is notorious for its tragedies.

“Even close to shore, there can be drop-offs or holes in the shore. A child can go headfirst into the water and immediately drown,” said Dave Benjamin, a water safety spokesman.

By Benjamin’s calculations, Lake Michigan will have claimed more than 40 lives in 2024, including adults and children.

“This could easily be the worst year we’ve ever seen on Lake Michigan,” Benjamin said. “It all depends on how the fall goes.”

In 2018, Halle Quezada was at Loyola Beach when the 13-year-old was swept away by a wave and killed.

“Nobody thought anyone was in danger,” Quezada said.

This event touched a sensitive chord.

“If we’re going to live on the third coast, it’s our responsibility to protect people,” she said.

He works to raise awareness with Benjamin’s nonprofit, the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, to educate people about the hidden dangers of the beautiful lakeshore.

“We don’t set kids on fire to teach them to stop, throw and roll,” Benjamin said. “We can do school and classroom presentations to teach them about fire safety. We can do the same thing about water safety.”

That argument led to a new Illinois law, signed into law in December 2023, that mandates water safety training for all pre-kindergarten through sixth graders. The curriculum could be implemented as early as this school year and includes lessons such as:

“If you see waves breaking, that means there are dangerous currents,” Benjamin said.

Quezada added that another lesson is: “Once you get into trouble, how do you get out of it?”

The hope is to extend the training requirement to the senior year of high school in Illinois. Another important step could be the passage of similar legislation in other states bordering the Great Lakes.

Temperatures in the Chicago area should remain warm throughout the week, but more hazardous water conditions are expected next weekend.